


When You're Young, And You're Poor, And You're Crazy

by brianmaybrianmay



Category: Bohemian Rhapsody (Movie 2018), Queen (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Roommates/Housemates, Blow Jobs, First Kiss, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, M/M, Misunderstandings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-20
Updated: 2019-03-20
Packaged: 2019-11-26 08:36:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,954
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18178346
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brianmaybrianmay/pseuds/brianmaybrianmay
Summary: "Brian, darling, are you in?""Yeah, Fred. In my room" He called back.He looked up from his notepad, expecting to see Freddie, but raised his eyebrows when he instead saw a blonde boy being steered into the bedroom, Freddie following soon after him,"Brian, this is Roger, our new housemate and your new roommate"-x-Or, Brian gets a new roommate.





	When You're Young, And You're Poor, And You're Crazy

**Author's Note:**

> Well, thank you so much for reading! 
> 
> I wrote this in an attempt to distract from another fic I'm halfway through writing and lost all inspiration for oops
> 
> Set in 1969, the band doesn't exist yet and the four boys are just housemates. Ignore the discrepancies in the timeline, I know they would be on holidays from university around the time of Roger's birthday, but for the sAKE OF THE WRITING they're not lol 
> 
> Hope you enjoy! :)

"Brian, darling, are you in?"

Brian didn't look up from where he was sitting on his bed, reading over notes from his latest cosmology class. He was twenty-two and in his final year of university, and if he was being honest? This year was kicking his arse a little. Still, he loved the stars, was fascinated by space and everything to do with it, so he figured it was worth the time and effort he was putting into his studies, especially since he wanted to pursue a PhD in astrophysics once he was done his undergraduate degree.

"Yeah, Fred. In my room" He called back.

That was the voice of Freddie, one of his two housemates. Freddie was twenty-three and freshly finished his own arts and design degree, and was now working in a clothes stall in Kensington Market. His real passion was music though, so he was just tiding himself over until his big break came along. Their other housemate was eighteen year old John Deacon, who was in his first year of studying electrical engineering.

Brian had moved in with Freddie a little over six months after he had started his course and John had just moved in at the start of this year, at Freddie's insistence that there was space in the flat. It was a good set up the three of them had. Freddie's boyfriend Jim lived not far away, and while John's girlfriend Veronica lived the next town over, they still managed to see each other most weekends.

He looked up from his notepad, expecting to see Freddie, but raised his eyebrows when he instead saw a blonde boy being steered into the bedroom, Freddie following soon after him,

"Uh.. hi?" Brian murmured, glancing between the two boys.

"Brian, this is Roger, our new housemate and your new roommate" Freddie told him with a grin, his hands on the aforementioned boys shoulders. That was the last thing Brian had been expecting to hear. They hadn't exactly been looking for a new roommate, and while he knew there was an empty bed on the other side of his room, he hadn't known Freddie was looking to fill it. Maybe Roger had just been looking for a place to stay.

"I wasn't aware we were looking for a new housemate"

"Well, we weren't. But John and I agreed the other day that we're all getting a little tight with rent, considering the two of you are still studying instead of working. Roger here works with me at the Market and he mentioned that he was looking for a flat closer to work. I just happened to remember that we had an extra bed here with nobody using it" He explained, glancing towards the bed in question which was currently being used as a space for Brian's clothes and books.

"Right.. sorry, nice to meet you, Roger. I just wasn't expecting an extra housemate"

If he was being honest, he could think of a number of different people he would be disappointed to see walk through the door with the announcement that they were his new housemate. Roger wasn't one of these people.

The blonde boy looked slightly younger than himself although not quite as young as John, and he had unruly blonde hair and big blue eyes. He was dressed rather unusually - the white shirt and jeans weren't too odd - but he'd paired them with rainbow suspenders and a pair of pink sparkly Converse shoes. His whole demeanour screamed that he had quite an attitude, although he fixed Brian with a bright grin,

"Sorry about this, Fred promised me you'd be alright with it. I met Deaky last week and he seemed nice. I guess it's not him that I'm gonna be sharing a room with though so I hope you don't think I'm imposing too much" He said with a smile as he crossed the room to sit on the bed that would soon enough be his, "Fred said I could start moving my stuff in tomorrow"

Brian was a little taken aback, if he was being honest. He had gotten quite used to the situation that the three of them had. Freddie and John were perfectly happy sharing their room and Brian liked having his own space, meant he could focus on getting his work done while Freddie was in one of his artistic moods. Like Freddie had said though, they had been struggling a little with rent lately since both he and John didn't work. So maybe a new housemate to help make ends meet wouldn't be the worst thing in the world.

So he smiled, nodding a little as he looked over at the blonde boy,

"Yeah of course, no problem at all"

 

-x-

 

"You're sure you don't mind helping me with this?" Roger asked as he hoisted another box into the boot of his car, Brian doing his best to rearrange the boxes already in the back seat to make more room.

Freddie had already had plans the next day and John had classes, so Roger had enlisted Brian's help in moving his stuff out of his old apartment and driving it back to theirs. It was a short enough drive considering Roger only lived in Mayfair, but Brian still guessed that he could use the help and he'd offered since he was free. Besides, if the way the younger boy was haphazardly squashing his boxes into the boot and the back seat, Brian was glad he'd offered to help.

Roger was a nice guy, he had to admit.

He'd learned that he was twenty, that he'd been born in Norfolk but had moved down to Cornwall when he and his younger sister were still children. He had moved to London two years ago to pursue a degree in dentistry, but had since dropped out of that and was studying biology now. He understood why he wanted to move to Kensington though, he had the car so he was able to drive to university, but Brian imagined it was costing the younger man a fortune to live in Mayfair.

He played drums as well, which Brian found interesting. He wasn't surprised at all though, the younger man was loud and brash and fit exactly the persona Brian would imagine a drummer to have. Still, though.. he was warm and friendly, and while Brian wasn't usually the best at trying to make friends with strangers, he was finding it quite easy to talk to Roger.

"Of course not, I wasn't busy anyway, and I- Roger, you're gonna break whatever's in that box if you keep doing that" He told him, noticing the way Roger was still trying his best to force the box into the boot of the car, "We can take another trip, it's not a far drive" They had already taken two trips - Roger had a lot of crap he wasn't willing to part with - but he didn't mind.

Roger hummed as he searched in his pockets for his box of cigarettes, holding one between his lips as he lit it, "Why don't we take a break, my back is starting to ache and I get hangry. There's a coffee shop across the road, we can grab a sandwich and a coffee?" He suggested, and Brian had to admit that it didn't sound like a bad idea. He could tell they were both starting to get tired, and he was pretty hungry too now that Roger mentioned it.

Ten minutes later they found themselves in the coffee shop, Brian picking at a pastry while Roger wolfed down his sandwich.

"So tell me about yourself, I've been nattering on all afternoon and I still know pretty much nothing about you" Roger said around a mouthful of his sandwich, swallowing down half of his coffee once he had finished.

"Well I was born in Hampton. I lived in Feltham for a while but I moved up here when I started school"

"Cool, what do you study?"

"Mathematics and physics.. I graduate next summer though so I've applied for a PhD in astrophysics"

He didn't miss the impressed look on Roger's face at his words. He knew he was smart but he tried not to show off about it, he didn't think he was a genius or anything, he was just.. enthusiastic about the stars really.

"Wow.. brainy. You got any hobbies?"

"I play guitar"

"Oh nice, what kind of guitar do you play?"

"Uh.. a homemade one, actually. My dad and I built it when I was a teenager"

Roger simply just looked at him after he'd spoken, his eyebrows raised, "So you're doing a PhD in astrophysics next year, and you play a guitar that you built yourself? I'm gonna have to start telling people my new roommate is a genius" He said with a grin.

Brian simply smiled and rolled his eyes.

 

-x-

 

"You're sure you're totally okay with this? I mean, I know I did just spring it on you" Freddie said while he and Brian sat over their morning coffee together. They had moved the last of Roger's stuff in yesterday and the boy in question was moving in properly this evening, once he had met with his old landlord earlier today.

"No, of course it's fine. I trust your judgement. Besides, we are getting a little tight on rent so there's no real point to not have someone else move in since there's the bed in my room. Roger is nice too, so.. there's that" Brian shrugged, although he was focusing more on his cornflakes than the actual conversation during the last part of his sentence. He could feel Freddie looking at him though,

"He is nice"

It sounded like a loaded statement so he sighed, looking up to meet Freddie's attempt at an innocent look with an unimpressed one of his own, "Alright, out with it"

"I'm just saying, Brian.. he's into boys too"

Freddie looked back down at his own breakfast as he spoke, which Brian was pretty glad of - since it meant he couldn't see the blush that had risen on his face.

"Yeah, well.. whoever or whatever he's into, he's still gonna be my roommate which means not gonna happen. It's messy. Besides, even if I was interested, it wouldn't work - we're too different" He shrugged, going back to his breakfast.

It was true really, they were both studying in the scientific field and yet were both passionate about music - but that was really the only similarity. Roger was loud and outgoing and mouthy, whereas Brian was quiet and didn't mind being overlooked in social situations. Roger smoked and he'd admitted himself that he drank too much, neither of which Brian was much into. Roger was confident in his appearance and his fashion sense - he seemed to do a lot of peacocking - while Brian was fairly self conscious of his curly hair, large nose, and too long limbs. Like he said, their personalities were too different for them to ever be compatible in that sense.

"If you say so"

 

-x-

 

"How has Freddie not moved out by now if you're this unadventurous with the shopping every time you do it? It's just as well I moved in" Roger said as he plucked a box of pop-tarts from the shelf.

Brian had gone to do the shopping that evening as he usually did and had run into Roger on his way home from university, so the younger man had decided to come with him to give him a hand. "Well he's never complained before, I'm not stopping him from buying rubbish I just don't provide him with it" He shrugged.

He usually just brought the same list with him every time he did the shopping; milk, eggs, bread, butter. He tended to just buy the staples that they were running low on, occasionally he'd get some crisps or a tub of ice-cream, but if Freddie wanted something else unhealthy he could damn well come and get it himself.

He found he didn't mind the company actually. The weekly shop was usually quite a boring affair, but Roger actually brought some entertainment to it. Whether it was skidding the cart around the corners or insisting that he sit in the cart while Brian pushed, the older man had to admit that he was thoroughly amused. Besides, he was sure Freddie would be pleased that Roger was insisting on providing the flat with unhealthy food as well as healthy.

"So how long have you lived with Freddie and John?"

"Nearly three years. Fred was living on his own in the flat so after about six months of commuting back and forth from Feltham every day, I decided to move in with him. John moved in at the start of this year 'cause he didn't want to be travelling back and forth to Leicester all the time"

"Yeah, at least I've got my car, I can imagine it was a pain for the both of you"

It was really, it had been over an hour on the train each way back when he'd been living at home, now it was a twenty minute walk from the university at most so he really couldn't argue that moving had been in his best interests.

"I met John's girlfriend the other day actually, they were both in the shop. She's nice"

"She is, yeah. Sweet girl"

"D'you have a girlfriend?"

Brian glanced over at Roger at his question, noticing how the younger man seemed to be very interested in the label on the can of beans he was holding, "I don't, no. I had until about a year ago but she moved to Wales so we ended up splitting up" He shrugged, taking the can from Roger and dropping it in the cart. It wasn't a big deal, they had both decided breaking up was the most sensible option rather than trying to keep up with a long distance relationship while they were both in the middle of studying. It was for the best.

"Well in that case, we'll just have to be each other's wingmen when we go out, won't we?" Roger asked with a grin, and Brian smiled and rolled his eyes.

 

-x-

 

Brian was having a crisis.

He'd acknowledged the fact that Roger was, well.. that he was attractive, to say the least. What he hadn't anticipated though was that Roger had a tendency to sleep in a tiny pair of boxer briefs and nothing else. He hadn't thought that it would be a problem, but he also had a tendency to kick the covers off in the middle of the night.

He'd have said something but it was a very minor thing to nitpick at considering, apart from the sleeping nearly naked? Roger was a pretty perfect roommate. He was a messy drunk but he was somehow quiet and considerate when he was coming in at four in the morning, he cleaned up after himself in every sense of the word, he usually left coffee made for the other three when he was on the way out in the morning. So really, Brian would feel a little shitty about having a word with him about his sleeping attire.

Besides, it wasn't as though it was an actual problem. It was just that it was more than a little distracting when Brian was trying to study by the lamplight and Roger would be across the room, spread eagled wearing next to nothing.

Like right now, for instance. It was the first weekend since Roger had moved in and so naturally the younger man was sleeping in. Brian had a tendency to wake up early no matter what day it was so he had decided to try and get a bit of study in before he got up for the day. It was just as he was highlighting some notes from yesterdays class that Roger turned towards him, kicking the covers off in the process.

Brian sighed, trying his best not to look over at his roommate, although he was failing pretty miserably.

Roger's face was slack with sleep, and he had a line across his cheek where he must have been lying on a crease in the pillow before he turned towards Brian. His hair had that typical slept on look, although Brian would admit that it usually looked like that anyway. That wasn't the part Brian was trying to avoid looking at though, it was the rest of him. His arms that were strangely skinny considering he was actually quite strong - Brian knew from when they'd been packing his stuff, as well as the fact that he was a drummer. The tiny tattoo just above his left hipbone that Brian couldn't quite make out from his side of the room. His toned legs that were sparsely dusted with blonde hair. As well as.. other parts of him which Brian really wasn't going to start thinking about at eight in the morning on a Saturday.

It was on that note that he decided he'd just be better off getting up. It wasn't like he was getting any studying at this point, all he'd been doing for the last twenty minutes was trying not to stare at Roger.

Half an hour later found him in the sitting room watching the news when Roger followed him in and sat at the opposite end of the couch, still wearing just his boxer briefs, although he had mercifully put on a dressing gown on too, "So I think we should play together sometime"

Brian glanced over in his direction, raising an eyebrow, "Play what?"

"Our instruments, you idiot! I know I don't have a set of drums here but I can look into renting a kit from the studio in town. We can go in and play together for an hour or two" He explained slouching back against the cushions as he did. Brian had to admit that it wasn't the worst idea. He'd played a couple of songs for Roger at the younger man's insistence and he was convinced that Brian's style of playing would sound well with his own style.

"Yeah, sounds like a good idea actually"

Roger smiled, reaching over to lightly swat at Brian's knee, "You know what? I think me and you are gonna get along great"

 

-x-

 

If Brian was being totally honest, he was about to start smashing his head against the desk.

It was one of those days where literally everything that could go wrong, did. First he'd slept through his alarm and had been late to university, he'd gone into town afterwards to do some grocery shopping and had realised he'd left his wallet at home, then he'd come home and had decided to have a shower but the water cut out on him halfway through when his hair was still full of shampoo. Now, he was trying his best to revise for an exam he had tomorrow, but he couldn't wrap his brain around the material he was looking over.

He was too wound up over the rest of the day being a disaster and he just.. he wasn't getting it. Besides, he had an unfortunate habit of crying when he was frustrated - which in turn only pissed him off even more.

All in all, not one of his better days.

He had his head in his hands with his fingers knotted into his hair when Roger walked into the bedroom, dropping down onto his own bed,

"Bri, you're never gon- what's wrong?"

"I'm about to fail my exam tomorrow is all. My brain isn't working and I can't make heads or tails of this, and I think there's a problem with the boiler so the shower isn't working. Oh, and we've no bread or milk cause I thought I left my wallet here when I was out shopping earlier, but now I can't find it so I think I must have lost it somewhere" He explained with a groan, tugging on his hair for a second before looking up to meet Roger's gaze. He knew his face must still be a little blotchy considering he'd shed a few tears of frustration before Roger had gotten home.

"Hey, it's alright. You're gonna do great in your exam tomorrow and all that other stuff can be dealt with"

Brian knew Roger was trying to reassure him, but he really wasn't in the mood for the placating words right now.

"How? I had the rest of my cash for the week in that wallet, including my share of the rent. Plus we're gonna need money to pay someone to get the boiler fixed!" He snapped, shrugging Roger's hands off his shoulders when he felt him put them there.

"Right, get up. You're too stressed and tense and you're not gonna get anywhere if you're this wound up. Lie on the bed" Roger told him, putting his hands on his hips. Brian raised an eyebrow, before doing what he was told when Roger jabbed a finger in the direction of the bed,

"Whatever you're planning isn't gonna help, Roger, I- what are you doing?" He asked when Roger got onto the bed after him, straddling his lower legs. He wasn't sure what exactly he'd been expecting, but this really wasn't it. Roger simply sat back on his hunches, looking up the bed at Brian, "Like I said, you're far too tense and you're only gonna get even more pissed off if you keep going. You need to relax, so I'm gonna help you" He told him like it was nothing, reaching forward to undo Brian's belt as he did.

Brian gripped onto Roger's wrists as a knee jerk reaction more than anything else, looking down at him with wide eyes. Even with the younger man straddling him, he'd been expecting maybe a massage or something. Not... this.

Roger smiled, looking up at him with a soft look on his face, "Let me do this for you, Bri" He murmured, although he didn't make any movements to go any further until Brian loosened his grip on his wrists, giving him a slightly hesitant nod.

It was with that that he finished unbuckling Brian's belt, pulling it off him in one movement before he undid the button on his jeans. He never broke eye contact with him as he pulled them down along with his boxers - although only to about his mid-thigh, just enough to pull his cock out.

Brian was.. well, his head was spinning a little if he was being honest. He could hardly believe that Roger was about to blow him just because he'd been having a bad day. Still, there was no need to over think it. He and Roger were friends was all, and Roger was just being.. generous, he supposed. Just one friend helping out another. He was pretty sure he felt his brain short circuit though when Roger wet his lips with his tongue before dropping his head, wrapping his lips around the head of his cock and his hand around the base.

"Fuck.. Rog"

He hummed low in his throat while the younger man bobbed his head, watching him through his eyelashes as he did. Okay he'd admit that it had certainly been a while since he'd been with anyone, so maybe he was a little sexually frustrated as well as frustrated in the general sense of the word. Still, with the sight in front of him, he was pretty sure he wasn't going to last too long.

As much as he hadn't been expecting this entire scenario at all, he'd been expecting even less to find out that Roger seemed to just not have a gag reflex - which he discovered when he took him nearly all the way down, swallowing around his cock.

He gasped when Roger pulled back slightly to focus on the head again, his hand finding it's way into the blonde hair in his reach, "Your mouth feels so good, Rog. I'm not gonna last much longer" He murmured with a groan, pressing his head back into the pillow. He could feel the heat starting to curl low in his stomach and he knew it was partly to do with the fact that it was Roger who was doing this for him.

Roger pulled back slightly, smirking up at Brian as he licked a wet stripe up the length of his cock, "Come on.. come for me, you're so wound up, think of how good it'll feel" He purred, sucking a mark into Brian's hipbone as he stroked his cock.

"You'll feel so much better afterwards, baby" He breathed before swallowing him back down, taking him nearly all the way down again.

Brian couldn't do much more than moan, lifting his hips off the bed slightly although he tried his best to hold himself back, he didn't want to end up choking Roger after all,

"Shit, Rog.. I'm gonna- oh, fuck" He tried his best to pull Roger off by the hair when he felt his orgasm washing over him although Roger stayed put, swallowing down everything Brian had to give him. It was only when he had coaxed him through the aftershocks that he pulled off with a wet pop, propping himself up on his elbows as he grinned up at Brian, "Now, you feel a little better?" He asked, tucking Brian back into his jeans.

That was putting it lightly really, Brian just felt.. boneless.

If he was being honest though, Roger was right, he did feel a lot more relaxed than he did earlier. He no longer wanted to throw himself out the window, so that was a start anyway. He nodded, running a shaky hand through his hair as he looked down at him, "Yeah. I uh.. thanks for that, I appreciate it" He murmured, although he could feel his cheeks heating up at the thought of what had just happened.

Roger though seemed to either not notice the awkward atmosphere or he just didn't care, as he hoisted himself up off the bed and stretched until his back popped, before disappearing into the bathroom. He reemerged a moment later with his toothbrush between his lips, leaning against the doorframe as he brushed his teeth, "So try and not get yourself as frustrated as you were when you go back to your studying, and we'll worry about the rent and the boiler tomorrow, yeah?" He said with a grin around his toothbrush before going back into the bathroom to rinse his mouth out.

Brian raised an eyebrow, looking in the direction of the bathroom from where he was propped up on his elbows still on the bed, "Uh, yeah.. sure. Where are you going?" He asked, looking over at Roger when he came back into the bedroom.

"Out. My mate Devon is in town so I told him I'd meet him for a drink tonight" He shrugged as he looked through his wardrobe before settling on a jacket that didn't clash too awfully with the rest of his outfit.

Brian wasn't sure what he was expecting from Roger following what had just happened.. but considering Roger's total non-reaction, he almost had to pinch himself to make sure he hadn't just fallen asleep and dreamt it.

"Oh, right.. um, I guess I'll see you later then"

"Yeah. Don't wait up though, I'll be late. Bye!" He said with a grin and a wave, before heading back out.

Right, well that was that then.

 

-x-

 

He was sitting over his cornflakes the next morning, although by now they were thoroughly soggy considering he'd been mulling over the events of last night rather than actually eating his breakfast. He wasn't exactly sure what to think. He was pretty sure what had happened was nothing though, just a friend helping out a friend like he'd said.

He hadn't expected to wake up this morning to find Roger's bed empty though, as well as there being no indication that he had come home at all last night.

He looked up when Freddie joined him in the kitchen, looking a little like the cat that had gotten the cream,

"So.. I heard some very interesting sounds coming from your and Roger's room last night, did you two finally shag?" He asked, grinning at the way Brian's cheeks flushed at his question. He sighed, rubbing his face before deciding on eventually pushing away his uneaten bowl of cereal, "We.. um, I was stressed over my exam and he insisted on blowing me to help me relax" He admitted, trying his best to avoid Freddie's eyes. He knew there was no point in lying about it, he'd already said he'd heard it all.

"And have you given yourself a headache thinking about it yet?"

"A little bit. It was just out of the blue and, I dunno.. I don't know what to think about it" He admitted with a shrug. Well that was just it, he didn't know! Realistically, he knew it was a very Roger-type thing to do, but still.

The two men looked around when they heard the front door shutting, Roger shooting them both a grin when he came into the kitchen. Brian didn't miss how he was in the same clothes he'd been in when he left last night - despite the fact he looked, well.. thoroughly well-fucked, if he was being honest.

"Oh, alright? Didn't think you two would be up already"

"We were just wondering where you were, actually"

"I was out with Devon. He's still a fantastic shag, in case you were wondering" Roger said with a grin as he sat up on one of the countertops. That explained his dishevelled appearance then, "Right, I'm off for a shower. Good luck with your exam today, Bri" He said as he hopped back down, and Brian could hear him whistling as he walked off to the bathroom.

Freddie raised an eyebrow, glancing in Brian's direction after the younger man had left, "Don't take it personally, dear. I've known Roger ages and he's always been like this" He explained, before sighing as he noticed that Brian still looked a little deflated,

"He's not the settling down type. About two years ago he had a boyfriend, Tim, but the two of them were both sleeping with more boys and girls on the side than even I could keep track of"

"Is that why they split up?"

"Maybe.. I don't know why. He came home one day and said he and Tim were over and that I wasn't to mention it again, but that was the most he said about it"

Brian just hummed in response. If he was being totally honest, hearing that made him wonder whether he should be relieved that Roger didn't seem to actually be interested in him. He was slowly starting to admit to himself that maybe he did fancy Roger a little bit, but really? He knew he wouldn't be able to handle it if they got together and Roger was still sleeping with other people on the side. As far as he was concerned with commitment, it was one and done.

"Cheer up, alright? You don't want to be miserable going into your exam"

 

-x-

 

Brian was surprised to find that things were actually.. fine. There was no residual awkwardness that had come as a result of Roger's stress relief methods.

He had expected to be barely able to look at the younger man, and for Roger to pick up immediately that there was something bothering him. Then he'd have to explain because he couldn't avoid the issue, and then it would be even more awkward and Roger wouldn't want to speak to him and he'd most certainly never blow him again, and then he'd probably end up moving out.

Miraculously though, none of those things happened. He got home from his exam to find Roger sitting on the sofa, looking incredibly soft in a pair of boxers and a sweater that he was pretty sure was his own, his hair fluffy from the shower he'd had earlier. He'd beckoned him over with a smile when he'd noticed Brian coming into the flat, leaning against him with his head against his arm once Brian had sat down,

"How was your exam?" He asked, still looking at the television.

"It was fine, I don't think I crashed and burned anyway"

"Good, told you it'd be fine"

Brian simply smiled a little, looking down at the younger man who was chewing on a hangnail as he continued to watch the television. So that was that then, no awkwardness needed.

 

-x-

 

"I take it you're coming to Roger's birthday party then?"

Brian looked up with a frown at John's question, glancing at Freddie before back to John, "What birthday party?" He asked, and the other two simply looked at him.

"Roger's birthday party. He's twenty-one on Saturday, and we're throwing him a party. Oh dear, did we forget to tell you?" Freddie asked.

He'd known Roger's birthday was coming up soon, he had told him that it was around the same time as his - which had been last Saturday. Since he had only turned twenty-three though, he hadn't wanted them to make that big a deal out of it. Freddie had offered to throw him a big party, but he'd insisted that the four of them just go out for a few drinks instead. He hadn't known Roger's birthday was a mere week after his own though.

"I didn't even know it was his birthday! I've got nothing for him"

He wasn't great at coming up with present ideas as it was, but even less so when he was under pressure. He wasn't even sure what Roger would like! He wouldn't attempt to buy him clothes since he had no idea how the younger man's brain worked when it came to his fashion sense, Roger had gotten him a lovely watch for his own birthday but he was pretty sure he wouldn't appreciate a sensible present like that, maybe something music related? He had no idea really.

"Well maybe you can repay the favour I heard you got from him rather than buying him a present" John suggested innocently, although Brian was pretty sure he was going to give himself a headache from how hard he rolled his eyes, "Are we still talking about that?" He asked, and John shrugged, "Sorry, Fred told me"

Like Brian had said though, things had been fine between him and Roger. It had been almost forgotten about, if he was being honest. Well, the hickey on his hipbone had taken about a week to fade, but apart from that..

"Well I'm glad you two have been having fun gossiping.. but I do need to think of something to get him"

He did have a bit of an idea brewing though, he just had no idea how he was going to go about it.

 

-x-

 

Saturday came and Brian awoke to the sound of a plate smashing in the kitchen.

It was still early enough he guessed, although judging by the still sleeping figure in the bed on the other side of the room, he figured the noise had to be Freddie attempting to cook something. John knew his way around the kitchen alright, but Freddie tended to be a bit of a disaster when it came to anything culinary related.

He sighed as he dragged himself out of bed, pulling on his dressing gown as he went to investigate. They already had a busy enough day with Roger's party this evening, they didn't need Freddie burning down the flat on top of that.

When he got to the kitchen, he raised an eyebrow at the sight in front of him. The place was a mess, there was smoke pouring from the oven, and Freddie was sweeping up a broken plate off the floor while John attempted to deal with the oven, "Should I even ask?" He asked, looking between the pair,

"We wanted to bake a cake for Roger before he got up, but it doesn't seem to be going to plan" John explained as he pulled the cake from the oven, before opening the window to let the smoke out.

Brian had to admit that the cake didn't actually look half bad, considering the state that the kitchen was in. Besides, he was pretty sure Roger would eat the damn thing even if it was made of cat litter and muck, considering the trouble their friends had gone to to make it, "Look, it's not too bad. Just decorate it, put a few candles on top and it'll be fine. Come on, I'll help" He told them.

By the time Roger had gotten up and joined them in the kitchen, they had managed to get the cake decorated and the kitchen mostly tidied up, the broken plate safely discarded of and the windows open to get rid of the smokey smell,

"Happy birthday!"

Freddie beamed as the drummer entered the room, smiling when he saw the commotion around him. He pushed him down into a chair once they had all gotten a hug in, putting the cake on the table in front of him, "Now, darling. Brian saved the day in the end but we baked the cake, we knew he'd complain about how unhealthy it was to have cake for breakfast and all that, but we figured since it was your birthday and everything. So I apologise if it's awful"

"It doesn't matter even if it does, I appreciate the effort" Roger said with a smile as he cut the cake. Well yeah, his friends had gone to a lot of effort for him when they could have just bought a cake, so he appreciated it no matter what the cake itself was actually like, "I think we should all have some for breakfast. Even you, Brian" He teased, and Brian could only smile and roll his eyes.

Once they had had their cake and tidied up, they had gone to get their presents. Well, the other two had, Brian had gone to get the card he'd gotten for Roger. His present wasn't in the flat, they'd have to go and see it. He was a little nervous about how Roger would react to it, if he was honest. Not because he was worried he wouldn't like it, he knew he would, he just.. he was still a little nervous about it.

Freddie had gotten him clothes - which Brian thought were the most hideous articles of clothing he'd ever seen in his life, but Roger had loved them - and John had gotten him a few books. Brian knew that the younger man tended to play the idiot for laughs, but that he was actually quite intelligent and loved to read. They had also gotten him some accessories and tools for his car between the two of them.

Brian eventually handed him his card with a slightly sheepish smile, "I promise this isn't your actual present, there's just nowhere that we'd be able to keep it here without you finding it" He explained, "But if you get dressed and come with me I can show you it"

It didn't take the two of them long to get ready and into Roger's car, Brian insisting on driving so that he'd be able to keep it somewhat of a secret. Eventually they got to their destination, and Roger raised an eyebrow when he saw that they were at the studio where the four of them played together sometimes, "We're at the studio" He stated and Brian smiled and rolled his eyes, "Well done, Sherlock, come on"

They walked in and Brian let them into the booth they usually used, "Surprise" He said with a small smile as Roger took in the sight in front of him. Where the crappy old drumkit that they usually rented out by the hour usually was, there was a gorgeous vintage Ludwig drumkit in it's place. Roger turned to him with a stunned look on his face, "Brian, this is gorgeous, but I can't accept it. It'll cost a fortune to rent this out every time we want to play"

"It won't. It's uh, not for renting. It's yours, I bought it for you. We can move it back to the flat if you want, but I just asked them could we keep it here for the time being so you wouldn't see it" He explained, before grinning when he suddenly found himself with an armful of drummer,

"Bri.. I can't- you really bought this for me? This is the best present I've ever gotten"

"Yeah, well.. you're only twenty-one once"

Roger pulled back to look at Brian, a look of disbelief still painted on his face. Okay so honestly, it had kind of cost Brian a small fortune to buy the thing, he'd even had to dip into his savings, but he'd wanted to get Roger a good present for his birthday. He'd noticed lately that the younger man was getting fed up with the old drumkit at the studio and the crappy sound it produced, so it was worth the money and the hours of scrolling through ads and calling sellers it had taken to get them here. He was just glad that he really seemed to like it.

As for Roger, he simply continued to look up at Brian with a look on his face that lead the guitarist to believe he was still having trouble wrapping his head around the present. Brian had noticed the subtle shift in atmosphere though and he bit his lip gently as the younger man leaned up to him, dipping his own head down to meet Roger's lips with his own, before the two of them sprung apart at the sound of a door shutting,

"Oh.. sorry, thought the room was free" The man who'd just walked in apologised before ducking back out, leaving the two flatmates alone again. Brian smiled sheepishly over at Roger, rubbing the back of his neck, "Come on, Fred will kill me if I'm late getting you back. He wanted us to go decorate the pub before tonight"

He let Roger drive them back this time, although they were both quiet for most of the trip. Brian's thoughts were occupied by the thought of their almost-kiss, and he wasn't totally sure what Roger was thinking.

He wondered whether it was a curse or a blessing that they'd been walked in on, cause he was pretty sure that once he kissed the younger man; he was never going to want to stop. That thought brought him back to the conversation he and Freddie had had a while ago though, about how when Roger had been dating Tim all they had done was sleep with other people. He was pretty sure he wasn't prepared to deal with that though, so maybe it was good that they had been interrupted.

He could think about it some other time. For now, they had a party to be preparing for.

 

-x-

 

Freddie had insisted on the three of them being there early to welcome the other guests as they arrived, even though Roger was nowhere in sight yet. Brian knew the younger man was probably just agonising over his wardrobe and what accessories and shoes to wear with whatever look he went with.

They had booked out Roger's favourite pub for the night and the place was already starting to fill up with some people Brian recognised and some he had never seen before. He noticed a couple of people Roger palled around with at university as well as a few he was pretty sure worked with himself and Fred. Debbie and Dominique were here, both casual ex-girlfriends of Roger who he had remained close friends with. Veronica and Jim had both come too at the request of John and Freddie. He was just glad that people seemed to be having a good time.

He was chatting to Dominique and a bloke she had introduced as her boyfriend by the time Roger eventually showed up, and he understood what had taken the younger man so long. He had obviously spent some time putting his outfit together and had settled on a white shirt which was unbuttoned enough to expose most of his chest, along with a pair of tight denim jeans that Brian had to admit hugged his lean thighs very well. On top of that, he had a cream satin sort of jacket that seemed to be patterned with birds of some sort. His hair was styled and Brian was pretty sure he could make out some tastefully smudged eyeliner around his blue eyes.

All in all, he looked.. well.

Brian knew he wasn't underdressed or anything in his jeans and white shirt with a black waistcoat buttoned over it, but he certainly felt like it next to Roger, who grinned when he saw the guitarist.

"Bri! Hey, this is amazing. I can't believe you guys booked out the entire pub, where're the others?" He asked, pulling Dominique in for a quick kiss on the cheek before shaking hands with her boyfriend,

"I'm not sure, I think Fred is out having a smoke with Jim and last I saw John he was dancing with Veronica"

He had seen them a couple of times throughout the night but the three hadn't stuck together long, having been busy with catching up with their other guests,

"Alright, well I'm gonna go say hello. I'll be back in a while" Roger told him before bounding off to find the others.

Dominique noticed how Brian watched after him with a slightly longing look, although she chose not to say anything.

 

-x-

 

The party was in full swing and everybody was several drinks deep by the time Freddie dragged Roger up to the bar, asking the bartender to lower the music for a moment so he could get everybodies attention, "Alright, I hope everybody is having a wonderful time and that we're all very drunk. It wouldn't be a twenty-first party without twenty-one kisses though, so form an orderly line ladies" He said with a grin, and Brian had to laugh when he planted a dramatic kiss on Roger, who pushed him off playfully once he had finished.

It wasn't a struggle to get twenty more people up to kiss Roger, he'd seen Debbie, Dominique, and Veronica all going up for a friendly peck as well as a good few people Brian didn't recognise, and even John had been persuaded to go up and plant a kiss on his cheek. Brian had had to grit his teeth slightly as he watched a redhead he didn't recognise try her best to shove her tongue down Roger's throat, although he had to admit it was slightly satisfying to see that the drummer looked a little uncomfortable once she had let him go, as though he had no interest in a repeat performance.

Once Freddie announced that it was time for the twenty-first kiss, Brian felt a wave of confidence wash over him. Maybe it was to do with the numerous drinks he'd had, or maybe it was to do with the fact that Roger had leaned in first to kiss him earlier, but he found himself rising from his seat and crossing the floor to Roger, who smiled shyly back at him.

Once he had reached him, he didn't delay in cupping the younger man's face between his hands, pressing their lips together. He was relieved to find that Roger wasn't pushing him off, that he was actually pulling him closer by draping his arms around the taller man's neck as he kissed him back.

He just about registered the sound of someone wolf-whistling before he pulled back, the two men fighting back grins as they looked at each other.

"Well when you've both finished, it's about time we get another drink into the birthday boy" Freddie announced with a grin as he came up to them, slapping a hand lightly on both their shoulders.

 

-x-

 

The rest of the party passed fairly uneventfully. Roger had slipped on a spilled drink at one point but had pulled himself up before anybody even got the chance to see if he'd actually hurt himself, and the way he was laughing was an indication that he hadn't actually done himself any damage. Apart from that though, the rest of the night was drama free.

Eventually the party started to wind down though, the pub was starting to empty out and even Roger looked as though he was about to fall asleep where he was standing, his head resting against Brian's shoulder, "I'm gonna get him home, I think" He told Freddie and John when they eventually reappeared, both their partners in tow. They were all drunk and enough people had left by now that it wouldn't be unusual for Roger to head off too.

So he got them both into a taxi, letting them into the flat once they had finally gotten there.

"Hey, Bri.."

Brian looked over from where he'd been filling two glasses of water to where he'd sat Roger at the kitchen table, "Yeah, Rog?"

"You kissed me"

He could feel himself blushing slightly at the younger man's statement, going back to his task of filling back up both of the glasses, "Yeah, couldn't let you go without a twenty-first kiss, could I?" He asked with a halfhearted grin, indicating for Roger to get up once he had filled both the glasses.

Roger followed him to their bedroom without argument, stretching his arms above his head as he sat on his bed. Brian sat on his own bed, biting his lip gently as he looked over at the younger man, "Did you have a good birthday?"

"I did, yeah.. the party was great" He said with a smile, and Brian noticed that maybe Roger wasn't as drunk as he'd thought he was. In fact, he looked more tired than anything else at this point. Maybe the fresh air when they'd been leaving the pub had helped.

"And the present was amazing, Bri. Really, you shouldn't have" Brian bit his lip gently as Roger's words, looking across the space between the two beds at him as he considered his next words, "Actually.. I still have another tiny present to give you, if you'll let me.. um, return the favour, I guess" He murmured, feeling heat flood his cheeks as he spoke. It wasn't like him to be so bold, but the alcohol had lowered his inhibitions. Then there was also the fact that they were alone in their room, after they had already kissed that evening.

It clearly didn't take long for it to click with Roger what Brian meant, as a slight smirk spread over his face before he nodded.

With that, Brian got up to cross the room, leaning down once he reached Roger to press their lips together again. The drummer wasted no time in tangling his fingers into dark curls as he kissed him back, humming low in his throat as Brian sank to his knees on the floor between Roger's own spread legs, "Fuck, Bri.. You really don't have to do this" He murmured as he ran his fingers through Brian's hair again.

"I want to"

Brian was glad that Roger was already sat on the edge of his bed, as it made for quite an easy position to do this in. He glanced up at the younger man as he undid his belt and his jeans, his tongue darting out for a moment to wet his lips as Roger shifted his hips up slightly just enough to get his jeans and boxers down, letting them pool at his feet.

Brian would be the first to admit that he had absolutely zero experience in this area, but ever since Roger had first done this for him, he had definitely wanted to repay the favour. Despite the fact that he'd never sucked a cock in his life.

With that, he wrapped his hand around Roger's cock, stroking it slowly for a moment before he leaned down to lick an experimental stripe up the length of it. Roger sighed, leaning back a little to give Brian more space as he eventually took his cock into his mouth, "Just like that, Bri" He hummed, reaching forward to run his fingers encouragingly through the mass of dark curls again.

It was an odd sensation, Brian thought. Roger's cock was warm and hard in his mouth, the taste slightly salty although it wasn't overbearing. He just tried to remember what he liked being done to himself in this situation as he slowly bobbed his head, looking up at the younger man through his eyelashes as he did. He remembered that Roger hadn't seemed to have much of a gag reflex when he had sucked Brian off, but the guitarist knew he'd probably only end up choking and making a fool of himself if he tried to push himself. So he settled on keeping his hand wrapped around what he couldn't fit into his mouth.

"Feels so good, Bri, you've got no idea"

Roger's words encouraged Brian to try and take him a little deeper, swallowing as best as he could around his cock when he'd gone as far down as he felt he could go, although he reared back a little when Roger suddenly bucked his hips up with a moan, "Shit, I'm sorry, are you alright?" He asked, petting Brian's hair softly,

"Yeah, yeah.. just surprised me, is all" He murmured, clearing his throat before picking up where he'd left off.

He didn't attempt to get too ambitious this time, kept to bobbing his head and hollowing out his cheeks as he sucked, swirling his tongue around the head occasionally. He could feel Roger shaking in an attempt to keep still, a whine or a gasp slipping from his lips occasionally although he stayed quiet for the most part. Brian pressed his thumbs into the sensitive spots above Roger's hipbones, feeling a surge of heat rising in him at the moan he pulled from the younger man by doing so.

"Brian, fuck.. you can stop, I'm gonna come" He whined, although his fingers were knotted tightly into Brian's hair. The guitarist had no intentions of stopping anyway, simply continuing on as he was before slowing as Roger came with a gasp, his hips lifting off the bed slightly - although Brian was prepared for it this time.

He pulled off once he was sure Roger had finished, grinning a little as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, "Was that alright?" He asked as he helped the younger man back into his boxers, although he simply kicked his jeans off all the way rather than pulling them back on too. "Course it was alright, bloody fantastic is what it was" Roger told him as he scooted back on the bed just far enough to hit the pillow with his head once he collapsed onto his side.

Brian stood up too, wincing slightly at the strain in his knees as he collapsed into his own bed. He could feel the exhaustion washing over him all of a sudden and he knew he wouldn't be able to stay awake much longer,

"Vintage drumkit and an amazing blowjob.. you really know how to spoil a guy on his birthday" Roger chuckled from his side of the room, and Brian simply laughed in response before letting sleep take over him.

 

-x-

 

The next morning when he woke up, Brian was pretty sure he couldn't ever remember his mouth tasting worse. Aside from the general taste of a hangover, he also remembered that he'd forgotten to brush his teeth after his and Roger's activities last night. So on that note, he dragged himself out of bed and into the bathroom, planning to just brush his teeth but ended up having a shower as well. He figured it would probably help him feel a little better.

He made his way to the kitchen once he had pulled on a pair of boxers and a tshirt since he had heard the others chatting away, although he stopped once he heard Roger's voice over John's,

"No.. I know he fancies me, but I don't feel that way about him. Especially not after last night"

Brian swallowed as he stood in the doorway, before taking a step back and retreating back into his and Roger's bedroom. He knew it had been too good to be true. Not that he'd expected Roger to drop to his knees and declare his love for him, but he hadn't expected him to be quite so harsh. He'd thought that maybe Roger had some sort of feelings for him in return, but obviously not.

John tilted his head a little as he listened to Roger, looking over at the drummer, "What happened last night?"

"Well, aside from the fact that Brian kissed me at the party - which was amazing, Deaky, you have no idea - he kind of.. um, he sucked me off when we got home"

"Right.. and does Brian know Devon was following you around like a puppy the entire party?"

"No, I don't think he and Devon even met last night. Like I said though, I know Dev and I have been casually shagging, and I know that he fancies me, but I just.. I don't fancy him. I think I might have caught feelings for Brian though. He's so good to me, and he was so thoughtful with that present. D'you have any idea how much a kit like that must have cost? And, God, when he kissed me last night it was like we were the only two people in the room"

"Well, talk to him about it. I'm sure he feels the same way about you"

"Yeah.. yeah, I will"

Brian had obviously assumed that Roger was talking about him when he'd said that he didn't fancy him, and he just.. he cringed a little at the thought that his feelings were so obvious when Roger didn't feel the same way about him. Still, at least he knew now.

He looked up when Roger came into their bedroom, biting his lip gently, "Morning, Rog" He murmured, watching the younger man as he sat down the end of his bed, running his fingers through his hair, "Hey. Look, um.. I wanted to talk about last night"

"It's fine.. it was a one time thing, won't happen again. It was your birthday, after all" He shrugged, although he missed the hurt look that passed quickly over Roger's face. Maybe if he just tried his best to act as though it had been nothing to him either then they could avoid any awkwardness. They could just carry on like they had after the time Roger had blown him.

"Right, yeah.. course"

 

-x-

 

Things were somewhat fragile over the next couple of days. There had been no more said about what had happened between them or the conversation they'd had, and that was that. As much as Brian cringed when he thought of the whole situation, realistically he knew he'd regret it if he let it get in the way of his and Roger's friendship.

They were roommates and above that, they were friends. He had acted totally like it had been a one time thing for him too, so he just hoped that they'd be able to move past it soon enough.

Something seemed to be bothering Roger though, He seemed to visibly deflate whenever he was left alone for too long with his own thoughts, and although Brian had asked him about it, he always smiled and told him that there was nothing wrong.

It was weird was all.

He had noticed though that Roger seemed to be smoking a lot more than he had been, drinking too. It wasn't drastic enough that he would have noticed if things were perfectly fine between the two of them, but he was just totally aware of the situation between them right now. He didn't understand it though, considering he was doing exactly what Roger seemed to want. Roger had said he didn't feel that way about him, so surely it would have been worse if he had told him to his face that he was falling for him. Like he said, he didn't get it.

 

-x-

 

Brian was having trouble sleeping. He didn't even know why he was struggling to fall asleep tonight, since there was nothing really that should be keeping him up. He didn't have an exam that he was stressing over, or anything that was occupying his thoughts. Maybe it was just because Roger was out tonight and his subconscious was keeping him awake until the younger man was home safe.

Usually it was fine, but like he'd said; Roger seemed to be going a little overboard lately with both the smoking and the drinking which meant he tended to be a little messier than usual. So he just, he worried about his well-being.

He let out a breath he didn't realise he'd been holding when he heard the front door shutting, running a hand through his hair.

He wished he could talk to Roger about what was causing his low mood lately, but every time he asked; the younger man insisted that there was nothing wrong and that he was imagining it. He doubted it had anything to do with what had happened between them, considering he'd heard from Roger himself what he'd thought about the whole thing, but he just wished he'd tell him what was the problem so that he could try and help. They were still friends, they still lounged around on the couch together when they weren't busy, and they still went to the studio to play together, but there did seem to be a bit of an elephant in the room.

He frowned as he listened to Roger rummaging through the bathroom, seemingly knocking a bottle off one of the shelves before running the water in the sink. It wasn't like the drummer to spend ages wandering around the flat once he had come in drunk, he usually just stripped down to his underwear and collapsed straight into bed.

It must have been a good ten minutes or so before Roger snuck into the bedroom, and even then he didn't get straight into bed. He seemed to be tiptoeing around the room looking for something. It wasn't until Brian heard what he was pretty sure was sniffling that he sat up and switched on the lamp beside his bed. He frowned as he looked over at the younger man, blinking against the light for a moment, before his blood ran cold at the sight of Roger.

He was black and blue. The skin on the left side of his face was mottled purple and red, all the way from the black eye he was sporting to the nasty bruise adorning his jaw. His cheekbone was split deep enough that Brian's first thought was that he would need stitches, "Roger.. oh my go- what happened?" He asked as he shot out of his bed, putting his hands on the younger man's side to steer him to his bed. He pulled his hands back when Roger sucked a sharp breath in, wincing at Brian's touch,

"It's nothing, Bri.. it's fine"

"Wh- it's clearly not nothing! You could have a broken rib for Christ's sake"

"I know what a broken rib feels like. It's not broken, I'm just a little tender"

Brian's first assumption was that Roger had been mugged, although he could see his wallet on his bedside locker. Maybe he'd gotten a little too mouthy and had gotten into a bar fight. Still, the fact that Roger had said he knew what a broken rib felt like lead Brian to believe that this wasn't the first time this had happened.

He sat the younger man down on his bed, kneeling on the floor in front of him as he examined the damage to his face. He tried to push the thought that this was the exact position they'd been in the night of Roger's party right to the back of his mind. Now wasn't the time for thoughts like that.

"What happened?" He asked again and Roger sighed, looking down at the floor,

"It was that arsehole Prenter, y'know the one Freddie used to pal around with?"

"Paul Prenter?"

"Yeah, it's.. he's been doing this years, Brian, it's nothing new"

Brian saw red. He knew Paul was an arsehole and he'd never liked him, not even when Freddie was still friends with him. Especially not after Freddie tried distancing himself from him because of his toxic behaviour and Paul went and spread countless rumours about him. Still, if he'd thought even for a second that he'd been doing this to Roger, and that it was a regular occurrence at that, he'd have had him strung up long ago,

"Why does he do it, did you two get into a fight or something?" He asked and Roger sighed and rolled his eyes,

"Look at me, Brian. I wear girls clothes, I sleep with boys, I'm the perfect target for someone with a chip on their shoulder. It's 1969, people aren't the most open minded"

"I've seen him with guys before!"

"Well, he's clearly just more subtle about it than I am"

Brian sighed, rubbing his face with his hands. He just, he needed a moment to calm down or else he'd end up getting up and going straight out the door to find Paul's house and he wouldn't rest until he had his hands around his throat. Besides, despite the fact that Roger insisted this wasn't the first time it had happened, he still looked rather upset about it.

"Come on, get changed and get into bed. It's alright" He murmured as he got up off the ground, pulling Roger into a hug for a moment. He sighed a little as he rested his cheek against Roger's temple, revelling in the way the younger man clung to him.

He left Roger to change then, going to get him a glass of water and a couple of painkillers, as well as an ice-pack for his sore ribs. He grabbed a bottle of antiseptic and some cotton balls on his way back, sitting back on the end of Roger's bed once he had come back. He had noticed that as awful as Roger's face had looked, there was no blood, which he assumed meant that he'd been in the bathroom cleaning himself up when he'd come home.

"Alright, this is gonna sting a little" He murmured as he dabbed the antiseptic onto Roger's split cheekbone, giving him a sympathetic look when he winced. He'd tell Roger to go to the doctor about it tomorrow to see if it would need stitches, he really didn't want his beautiful face to be scarred with a reminder of this.

"Now, all done. Get into bed" He told him as he pulled back the covers on the bed. He waited until Roger had gotten into bed, stroking his hand gently through his blonde hair for a moment before he stood up. He had just sat back down on his own bed when he heard Roger calling him from the other side of the room,

"Bri?" He murmured, his voice small and slightly vulnerable sounding,

"Yeah?"

"Can you.. I know it's weird, but can you sleep here with me tonight? I know you're only over there but I don't want to be alone"

Brian could feel his heart clenching at the request, as well as the fact that Roger's voice was small and somewhat embarrassed sounding; as though he expected Brian to turn down his request, "Of course" He told him as he got up. Roger scooted back a little to make room for Brian in the bed, giving him a small smile once he had laid down under the blanket,

"I'm here, alright? I'm not going anywhere" He whispered, wrapping an arm around Roger in a moment of bravery. He smiled when the younger man pressed himself against his side, tucking his head against the crook of his neck,

"Thank you"

"Try and get some sleep, love"

 

-x-

 

He was content for a total of about ten seconds when he woke up the next morning, feeling Roger still curled into his side. That feeling was quickly replaced by the anger from the night before though when he remembered the reason for being in Roger's bed in the first place.

He sighed as he looked down at the younger man as he slept, the bruise on his cheek looking a little nastier than it had last night. He'd remind him to go and get it seen to, see if he'd need stitches or anything.

As much as he would have loved to stay here with Roger for the next couple of hours, he did have to be at university in an hour. He was pretty sure Roger wouldn't appreciate waking up alone though, so he ran his fingers gently through his blonde hair a couple of times until the younger man stirred,

"Rog.. hey, wake up" He murmured, smiling at him when he eventually opened his eyes, "Morning, how're you feeling?" He asked and Roger sighed, rubbing his face as he turned onto his back, "Like shit, if I'm being honest"

"D'you want me to stay home today? It won't kill me to miss one day"

"No, it's fine. I know your classes are important"

Brian gave the younger man a small smile before he forced himself to sit up, running his hands through his hair. He knew this didn't change their situation at all, that even though Roger had asked him to sleep beside him last night, he had only been looking for comfort. He didn't have feelings for him, and Brian had to accept that that hadn't changed. Still, he was glad that they were no longer tiptoeing around each other.

"I'm not in the whole day anyway so I'll be home early enough. Just take it easy for the day, go to the doctor later and get that cut on your cheek seen to" He told him as he picked his way around the room, getting his clothes ready.

"Bri?"

He turned back to the drummer when he heard his name, giving him a small smile,

"Just.. thank you. I know I was probably being silly last night since I'm fine, but I appreciate it"

"Hey, you weren't. I don't blame you for being upset, and if I had my way that bastard wouldn't be breathing by now. Don't ever feel like you have to apologise for this, okay?"

If he was being honest, he was a little furious over the fact that Roger felt like he had to apologise over this. He had nothing to be sorry for, and it certainly wasn't like he had inconvenienced Brian or anything last night. He was more than happy to be there for the drummer in any way that he needed him to be. He just.. he was pissed off that it had been necessary at all, that Paul had laid his hands on him at all.

He came back into their bedroom after a quick shower, smiling at the sight of Roger still curled up in his bed, "I'll see you later, alright? Go to the doctor" He told him as he grabbed his bag.

He ran into Freddie on the way out, who was rummaging in one of the kitchen presses, "Freddie, hey, are you in work today?"

"No, why?"

"Can you keep an eye on Roger for me? He came home last night black and blue, said that Paul Prenter had gotten his hands on him.. He told me not to skip university today but I just.. I'd feel a lot better knowing someone was keeping an eye on him. And bring him to the doctor, will you, his cheekbone is split open and it looks nasty"

He didn't miss the way Freddie's face darkened at the mention of his former friend, but he was relieved when he just nodded and agreed to keep Roger entertained for the day.

 

-x-

 

He only had a couple of classes today, but somehow it ended up being what felt like the longest day of his life. Eventually though, he'd gotten out of his last class and was just leaving the campus. He was debating whether or not to stop by the shops on the way home and pick up something for Roger to cheer him up.

He stopped in his tracks though when he noticed Paul passing him, and he could feel his blood boiling at the thought of poor Roger's battered face. To hell with it.

"Prenter!"

"Oh, hey, May. What's u-"

He didn't let Paul get the rest of his sentence out before he'd grabbed him by the front of the shirt, shoving him back against the wall behind them,

"What the fuck is your problem, May?"

"You ever put your hands on Roger again and I'll personally grind you into dust, got it?"

Paul simply laughed and rolled his eyes at the threat, shoving Brian back a step, "I'd heard a rumour actually that he was living with you and Fred now. Makes sense, I suppose, people like that tend to gravitate together. Tell me, have they turned you into a fagg-"

Brian's fist flew before he'd even realised it, and he couldn't help but feel a wave of satisfaction at the way Paul crumpled in front of him. Okay so he'd told himself that he'd keep a calm head, that he wouldn't let his anger get away from him. He couldn't find it in him to regret it though, at the sight of blood pouring from between Paul's fingers as he clamped a hand over his nose,

"Don't even try and act like you're innocent in that respect, I've seen you following plenty of boys around before. Don't you dare speak about them like that. And I mean it, if you ever touch Roger again I'll kill you myself" He snarled, grabbing him by the collar again. Okay so he usually tried his best to avoid confrontation, but like he'd said; he'd grind Paul into dust if he ever even thought about touching Roger again.

"Fine! I'll leave your boyfriend alone, he's not worth it anyway" Paul snapped before Brian shoved him back again.

That was good enough for him. Right now, he had to just go home before he made good on his threat anyway.

 

-x-

 

He let himself back into the flat with a sigh, running his hands through his hair. He'd stopped by the corner shop on the way home and gotten a box of doughnuts for Roger, and he'd been pretty glad for the delay in getting home. He was still so angry about the way Paul had spoken about his flatmates, and it had gotten harder every step to not turn back and beat him into a puddle.

In no way was he mad at Roger, but he still felt as though he'd needed the extra twenty minutes or so to calm down before he went home and faced any of his flatmates.

"Rog?" He called, smiling a little when the younger man stuck his head out from the kitchen, "Hey, how're you feeling? I got you these on the way home" He told him as he handed over the bag of doughnuts, "Where's Fred?"

"He had to go out. Jim called, he seemed to be having some sort of crisis involving a cat and the radiator, I think. I didn't get the full story" He explained around a mouthful of doughnut as he leaned against the counter, "You just missed Deaky too, he just stopped in to leave his bag before he went back out. I did hear an interesting rumour from him though, before he left. Said he was walking through campus and he saw you flattening Paul Prenter"

Brian sighed as he listened to Roger, glancing in the younger man's direction with a sheepish look on his face, "Yeah.. look, please don't be mad. I just tried to warn him not to touch you again and he started talking shit about you and Fred, I hit him before I realised what I was doing, and I-"

"Bri.. I'm not mad. How could I be?"

"You're not?"

"Look, I've lost count of how many times he's hit me, that's nothing new. But you're the first person that's ever hit back for me"

Brian barely had a moment to wrap his head around the fact that Roger wasn't mad at him before he had an armful of the drummer, and he sighed and wrapped his arms back around him. He didn't regret sticking up for the younger man at all but he knew that Roger preferred to handle his own issues, that he didn't like people meddling. So he'd been worrying that Roger would get pissed off at him for getting involved.

They simply stood like that for a couple of moments, their arms wrapped around each other. Brian smiled as he felt Roger's breath huffing softly against his collarbone, "I am really sorry this happened to you though.. and I swear to God, if he touches you again, the police won't even be able to find his body" He murmured, pulling back a little to look down at Roger.

He barely had time to smile down at him before Roger leaned up, pressing a kiss against his lips. As shocked as he was, it didn't take long for him to get with the program and he kissed him back, bringing one hand up to rest against his jaw.

Roger pulled back after a moment though, clamping a hand over his mouth as he stepped back from Brian, his eyes wide, "Oh.. God, I'm so sorry, Bri, I shouldn't have.. I overstepped, I'm sorry"

Brian was confused. He obviously had no problems with kissing Roger, but it seemed the younger man assumed that he did. Which he didn't get, considering Roger was the one who'd said he didn't have any feelings involved here,

"No, it's okay.. you're the one who said you didn't fancy me anyway, so it-"

"What? No I didn't"

"You did.. I heard you telling John, the day after your birthday?"

Roger simply looked at him for a couple of moments, before a look of realisation crossed his face, "I wasn't talking about you, you idiot!"

"You.. weren't?"

"No! I was talking about Devon, and you obviously missed the rest of that conversation because I then proceeded to tell Deaky about all the feelings I did have for you, and how when you kissed me it felt like we were the only two people in the room"

Brian was dumbstruck. All the awkwardness over the last week or so because of what he'd heard Roger say, and it turned out he hadn't even been talking about him at all? Thinking back on it though, he supposed he'd only heard Roger say 'I don't fancy him', he hadn't actually heard him say 'I don't fancy Brian'. How could he have been so stupid? On top of that, Roger had just admitted to having feelings for him.

"You.. I only said I wanted that night to be a one time thing because I'd heard you. I assumed if you really didn't have any feelings for me, it'd make things easier if I treated it like a one night stand too" He murmured, wrapping his arms around himself as he looked over at the younger man. He supposed it explained Roger's low mood though, if he had been waxing poetic to John about how he felt about him, and then he'd said straight off the bat that it had been a one time thing. He'd be upset too if it were him.

"We've been pretty stupid, haven't we?"

"Yeah, I guess we have"

"Can I.. can I kiss you again?"

Brian couldn't help but smile as he looked over at him, before crossing the couple of steps Roger had put between them, pressing their lips together. It felt so good to finally do this, and to know that both of them wanted it for real this time. He let Roger walk him back until his calves hit the sofa and he sat down, putting his hands on Roger's hips when he straddled his lap. They stayed like that for a couple of moments, Roger's fingers tangled into his hair as they kissed.

He rested his forehead against the younger man's once they had broken apart to breathe and he couldn't stop the grin that spread over his face.

"You have the most beautiful smile" Roger whispered, trailing his fingers gently along the line of Brian's jaw as he looked down at him. Brian couldn't help but lean up to press another kiss against his lips at his words, revelling in the fact that he could feel Roger's smile against his mouth.

He looked up at him once they had pulled apart properly, biting his lip gently, "Just.. a thing.. I talked to Fred a good while ago, and he said you weren't much into the whole commitment thing" He murmured, although he might've been avoiding Roger's eyes a little as he spoke.

"I wasn't, no. I'm sure he told you, but I had a boyfriend called Tim. We went out for about a year, and I just.. I thought we were good together, but he really wasn't good for me. We weren't good for each other, all we did was fight and cheat on each other. But it was alright, and then we got into a really bad argument one day and he gave me a smack. So I packed up my things and I left, never gave him a second chance. Paul was still beating me up at that point, and he was supposed to be the one person who'd stick up for me, but.. yeah. So after that I just kept everything casual. I did love Tim, I guess, so it hurt when it all went to shit. Can't get hurt when you're not emotionally involved, right?"

He gave Brian a sort of tense smile at that, and Brian simply rubbed his hands gently up and down Roger's sides encouragingly as he waited for him to continue,

"Then you came along, and you were so good to me and so sweet that I couldn't help but fall. I was a little broken-hearted I guess when you said that the night of my birthday was a one time thing, but I could get over it cause we were still friends. But I just.. like I said, you're the first person who's ever hit back for me, and I can't even begin to tell you how much that means to me"

Brian hadn't ever imagined that what he had done would mean that much to Roger. He'd figured that he'd be pissed actually, not grateful. Still, he was glad that he had confided in him, that he had told him why he slept around instead of settling down in a serious relationship.

"I can promise you this, Rog. I will never, ever raise a hand towards you like that. You're my best friend and you mean the world to me"

"I know that, silly. Believe me, I never thought for a second that you would even think of it"

"And you can believe me when I say I will end anyone who lays a finger on you"

"Oh, Brian.. I get all tingly when you talk like that"

Brian laughed and rolled his eyes, playfully pushing Roger off his lap onto the couch next to him. He smiled though when Roger simply curled against his side instead of going very far, throwing his legs over his lap instead,

"Seriously though, I can't believe you punched Paul in the face. I would have paid money to see that"

Brian laughed at that, pulling the younger man in for another kiss.

 

-x-

 

A month or so later, Brian was having a pretty stressful day. He was nearly finished his degree and was right in the middle of preparing for his final exams and getting the last of his assignments together. So he was pretty sure his brain was closer to mush than actual brain matter right now.

He was happy though.

After the initial honeymoon period he and Roger had spent the first few days in, he had figured they needed to have a proper talk about their situation. He'd told Roger that he only wanted this once they were on the same page, that he needed Roger's total commitment. He couldn't do this if the drummer was sleeping with other people on the side. That had earned him a playful smack across the back of the head, "D'you really think I'd want to be sleeping with anyone else now that I have you?" He'd asked. So Brian was glad that they had at least gotten that out of the way.

He let himself into the flat once he had gotten home, and the first thing he noticed was the smell of paint wafting through the flat. He didn't pay it much attention though, he knew Freddie occasionally was struck with artistic inspiration and on more than one occasion, he had come home to find the flat in various states of disarray. Like the one time he had come home to find a piano in the flat - which he still had no idea how he got the damn thing in, or when he'd painted the sitting room ceiling purple. Brian had insisted they paint it back white, but it still had an odd coloured tinge to it if you looked long enough.

He was relieved to find that the sitting room and the kitchen looked as they'd left it though, which he assumed meant Freddie had contained the chaos to his own room.

"Rog, you in?" He called, although he could hear music playing from their room. He followed the sound of it, although he stopped in the doorway once he reached their room.

"Oh.. hi. I didn't expect you to be home so soon, I thought you were in until four today?"

"Yeah, last class got rescheduled.. what is all this?"

He barely recognised their room. Their separate single beds were gone, replaced with a new queen sized bed. Their bedside lockers either side of it, instead of in the middle of the room like they had been before. That wasn't the most surprising part though. Two of the bedroom walls were still white, but the other two and the ceiling had been painted a dark navy blue, and had been decorated with both tiny painted stars, and glow in the dark stars that had been stuck on.

"Well, we've still been sleeping in those crappy old single beds, so I decided to get us a new bed to surprise you. While I was at it, I figured a whole new look for the room wouldn't be a bad idea, and since you love space so much.." Roger explained, running his fingers through his hair. Brian couldn't help but notice that he seemed slightly embarrassed, as though he thought Brian might think it was stupid or something.

He walked to one of the decorated walls, examining Roger's handiwork and was surprised by what he found there,

"You actually painted real constellations?"

"Yeah, bloody pain in the arse it was. I've been looking at your books all afternoon, I had to paint over half of them because they looked like a toddler had done it"

Brian could barely believe it. He knew that Roger had next to no interest in the cosmos, and yet he had still done all of this for him. He'd been studying his university books all afternoon to get the constellations as realistic as possible, and Brian had to admit that he'd actually done a pretty decent job.

"D'you lik-"

"I love you"

Roger simply blinked at him at his confession. Okay so he hadn't meant to let it slip out like that, but.. he did. He'd never felt like this about somebody before, and the fact that Roger had gone to all this trouble just because he knew it would make him happy. He just.. he had to make sure Roger knew how much he loved him,

"You do?"

"Rog.. this is the sweetest, most incredible thing anyone has ever done for me. And you did it all because you knew it would make me happy. Of course I love you, I've never felt like this about anyone in my life"

"I love you too"

Brian smiled as he brought their lips together, cupping Roger's face between his hands as he did. He just.. he couldn't have been happier. He had the most beautiful man he'd ever met in his arms, and they loved each other. That was enough.

"I think our days might be numbered though, I feel like Freddie and John might kill me when they get home"

"Why?"

"I hid the old single beds in their room to make space for the new one"

Brian simply laughed, pulling Roger a little closer as he pressed their lips together again.


End file.
